1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a computer peripheral device and more specifically it relates to a computer mouse.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are a variety of known computer input devices. At one time, the most popular and commonly used computer input device was the keyboard.
The recent development and increased use of graphical user interface products, however, have served to highlight the inherent limitations of the conventional computer keyboard as an input device. For example, the conventional keyboard is designed primarily for textual input and allows limited control of cursor movements and data input flexibility. Unfortunately, data input and cursor control of such a limited nature often fails to take full advantage of the wide range of graphical functions provided in current graphical user interface products and thus frustrates the efficient and effective use of such products.
The functional and operational limitations of a conventional keyboard as a computer input device led to the development of alternative, more graphically oriented and user friendly computer input devices such as the joystick, mouse and trackball. Such alternative input devices require less direct attention (for example, eye contact) thus allowing the user to concentrate on the computer screen and the task at hand. These devices are specially designed to facilitate precision cursor movements, at varying speeds, and in virtually any desired direction, thus allowing the user to easily take full advantage of the enhanced graphical functions provided in current graphical user interface products.
However, common graphically oriented computer input devices typically retain an important limitation which is not present in the conventional computer keyboard: the inability to efficiently, and effectively, input the wide selection of user selected data that is many times requested and used in a repetitious manner in the data input fields of many graphical user interface products without depending on a secondary data input device, such as the conventional keyboard. For example, most current mouse devices are not large enough to have defined keys used for typing said data; and if did, would make the mouse device too large and impractical.
One disadvantage to this limitation is that the operator has to move his fingers from the computer mouse to the keyboard in order to complete the data input fields of many graphical user interface products, which is inefficient, time consuming, and can break the user's flow and concentration if done on a repetitive basis.
Another disadvantage is that using two computer input devices simultaneously requires more direct attention (for example, eye contact) which distracts the user from concentrating on the computer screen and the task at hand. This can be aggravating when dealing with repetitive data such as personal data, credit card information and usernames.
Kensington has a product called the “Expert Mouse Pro Trackball” that has a text store & paste feature, but it is for one field of general text only and is not specified data. It also does not allow for a quick and efficient method of pasting multiple different fields of specified user data that are often requested by many graphical user interface products today. It also does not allow for data to be stored for multiple users simultaneously. This limits its usefulness.
In these respects, a computer mouse that specifically addresses the use of front mounted buttons for initiating functioning macros, inputting specified user data, or launching user pre-selected commands substantially departs itself from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus developed for the purpose of effectively and efficiently inputting user selected data that is many times requested and used in a repetitious manner in the data input fields of many graphical user interface products without depending on a secondary data input device, such as the conventional keyboard.
There is still need for improvement in the art.